Electric field-assisted membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration

This is a joint SBIR project with Thermosolv LLC (WI). The PI (D. Matyushov) will be employed on a subcontract basis. The goal of the proposed research is the development of novel membranes for organic solvent nanofiltrtion in the range of molecular weights of 100-1000 Da. The use of anodic aluminum oxide is anticipated as a basis for new technologies. The result will be a rapid separation of pharmaceutical ingredients in biomanufacturing. The role of of Dr. Matyushv in the project will be to provide the theoretical support of the technology development. The anticipated effect is based on dielectrophoretic separation of different compounds. Their separation ability is a competition of negative dielectrophoresis from molecular polarizability with positive dielectrophoresis from molecular dipole moment. The prediction of separation ability for different molecular species in the mixture will be the goal of the theoretical effort.